Shiv Chalisa
Also written: Shiva Chalisa · Shri Shiv Chalisa · Shiv Chalisa lyrics · Jai Girija Pati Deen Dayala
The Śiva Cālīsā is the best-known Hindi hymn to Lord Śiva: an opening dohā, a run of chaupāīs in simple Awadhi-flavoured Hindi, and a closing dohā. It praises Śiva’s form, recalls his great deeds, and ends as a personal plea for protection.
The poet calls himself Ayodhyādās in the text itself. The closing dohā also gives a date of composition — the sixth day of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa (Magsar), in the season of Hemanta, “Saṁvat sixty-four” — but it does not say which century, so the year cannot be fixed with certainty and we do not guess.
The stories it touches on are the familiar ones: the slaying of Tāraka by Ṣaḍānana (Kārttikeya), the defeat of Jalandhara and Tripura, the descent of the Gaṅgā for Bhagīratha, the poison swallowed at the churning of the ocean that made Śiva Nīlakaṇṭha, and Śrī Rāma’s worship with a thousand lotuses.
Printed editions differ in small spellings and in a few words. We give the reading most commonly printed. Counted couplet by couplet, this reading has forty-one chaupāīs: forty, followed by the poet’s signature couplet, which we have numbered 41.
The full text
- दोहाजय गणेश गिरिजा सुवन, मंगल मूल सुजान।कहत अयोध्यादास तुम, देहु अभय वरदान॥
Victory to Gaṇeśa, son of Girijā, wise source of all that is auspicious. Ayodhyādās says: grant me the boon of fearlessness.
- 1जय गिरिजा पति दीन दयाला।सदा करत सन्तन प्रतिपाला॥
Victory to the Lord of Girijā, compassionate to the humble, who always protects the saintly.
- 2भाल चन्द्रमा सोहत नीके।कानन कुण्डल नागफनी के॥
The moon shines beautifully on your forehead, and in your ears are earrings shaped like serpent hoods.
- 3अंग गौर शिर गंग बहाये।मुण्डमाल तन क्षार लगाए॥
Your body is fair, the Gaṅgā flows from your head; you wear a garland of skulls and your body is smeared with ash.
- 4वस्त्र खाल बाघम्बर सोहे।छवि को देखि नाग मन मोहे॥
A tiger skin is your garment, and it becomes you; seeing your beauty, even the serpents are enchanted.
- 5मैना मातु की हवे दुलारी।बाम अंग सोहत छवि न्यारी॥
Pārvatī, the darling daughter of mother Mainā, graces your left side with a beauty all her own.
- 6कर त्रिशूल सोहत छवि भारी।करत सदा शत्रुन क्षयकारी॥
The trident in your hand is a majestic sight; it always brings the destruction of enemies.
- 7नन्दि गणेश सोहै तहँ कैसे।सागर मध्य कमल हैं जैसे॥
Nandī and Gaṇeśa look as lovely beside you as lotuses in the midst of the ocean.
- 8कार्तिक श्याम और गणराऊ।या छवि को कहि जात न काऊ॥
With Kārttikeya, the dark-hued one and the lord of the gaṇas present, no one can describe the beauty of that scene.
- 9देवन जबहीं जाय पुकारा।तब ही दुख प्रभु आप निवारा॥
Whenever the gods came and called to you, Lord, you removed their sorrow at once.
- 10किया उपद्रव तारक भारी।देवन सब मिलि तुमहिं जुहारी॥
When the demon Tāraka caused great havoc, all the gods came together and appealed to you.
- 11तुरत षडानन आप पठायउ।लवनिमेष महँ मारि गिरायउ॥
You sent the six-faced Kārttikeya at once, and he struck Tāraka down in the blink of an eye.
- 12आप जलंधर असुर संहारा।सुयश तुम्हार विदित संसारा॥
You yourself destroyed the demon Jalandhara; your fame is known to the whole world.
- 13त्रिपुरासुर सन युद्ध मचाई।सबहिं कृपा कर लीन बचाई॥
You waged war on the demon of the three cities and, in your grace, saved everyone.
- 14किया तपहिं भागीरथ भारी।पुरब प्रतिज्ञा तासु पुरारी॥
Bhagīratha performed great austerity, and you, destroyer of Tripura, fulfilled his vow.
- 15दानिन महँ तुम सम कोउ नाहीं।सेवक स्तुति करत सदाहीं॥
Among givers there is none equal to you; your servants sing your praise for ever.
- 16वेद नाम महिमा तव गाई।अकथ अनादि भेद नहिं पाई॥
The Vedas sing the glory of your name, yet even they could not fathom your mystery, which is beyond words and without beginning.
- 17प्रकटी उदधि मंथन में ज्वाला।जरत सुरासुर भए विहाला॥
When the ocean was churned, a blazing poison arose; gods and demons alike burned and were in distress.
- 18कीन्ही दया तहं करी सहाई।नीलकण्ठ तब नाम कहाई॥
You took pity and came to their aid, and from then on you were called Nīlakaṇṭha, the blue-throated one.
- 19पूजन रामचन्द्र जब कीन्हा।जीत के लंक विभीषण दीन्हा॥
When Rāmacandra worshipped you, he conquered Laṅkā and gave it to Vibhīṣaṇa.
- 20सहस कमल में हो रहे धारी।कीन्ह परीक्षा तबहिं पुरारी॥
As he was offering a thousand lotuses, you, Purāri, chose that moment to test him.
- 21एक कमल प्रभु राखेउ जोई।कमल नयन पूजन चहं सोई॥
Lord, you hid one lotus away; the lotus-eyed Rāma then resolved to complete the worship with his own eye.
- 22कठिन भक्ति देखी प्रभु शंकर।भए प्रसन्न दिए इच्छित वर॥
Seeing such unshakeable devotion, Lord Śaṅkara was pleased and granted the boon he desired.
- 23जय जय जय अनन्त अविनाशी।करत कृपा सब के घटवासी॥
Victory, victory, victory to you, the infinite and imperishable, who dwell in every heart and show grace to all.
- 24दुष्ट सकल नित मोहि सतावै।भ्रमत रहौं मोहि चैन न आवै॥
All manner of evil torments me every day; I wander lost and find no peace.
- 25त्राहि त्राहि मैं नाथ पुकारो।येहि अवसर मोहि आन उबारो॥
“Save me, save me!” I cry to you, Lord; come and rescue me in this hour.
- 26लै त्रिशूल शत्रुन को मारो।संकट से मोहि आन उबारो॥
Take up your trident and strike down my enemies; come and lift me out of this trouble.
- 27मात-पिता भ्राता सब होई।संकट में पूछत नहिं कोई॥
Mother, father, brothers — one has them all, yet in times of trouble no one asks after you.
- 28स्वामी एक है आस तुम्हारी।आय हरहु मम संकट भारी॥
Master, you are my only hope; come and take away my heavy burden of trouble.
- 29धन निर्धन को देत सदा हीं।जो कोई जांचे सो फल पाहीं॥
You always give wealth to those who have none; whoever asks of you receives the fruit of asking.
- 30अस्तुति केहि विधि करैं तुम्हारी।क्षमहु नाथ अब चूक हमारी॥
How can I praise you as you deserve? Forgive my failings now, O Lord.
- 31शंकर हो संकट के नाशन।मंगल कारण विघ्न विनाशन॥
Śaṅkara, you are the destroyer of distress, the cause of all good and the remover of obstacles.
- 32योगी यति मुनि ध्यान लगावैं।शारद नारद शीश नवावैं॥
Yogis, ascetics and sages meditate on you; Śāradā and Nārada bow their heads to you.
- 33नमो नमो जय नमः शिवाय।सुर ब्रह्मादिक पार न पाय॥
Salutations, salutations — victory — namaḥ Śivāya! Even Brahmā and the other gods cannot reach the limit of your greatness.
- 34जो यह पाठ करे मन लाई।ता पर होत है शम्भु सहाई॥
Whoever recites this with a devoted mind finds Śambhu at his side as helper.
- 35ऋनियां जो कोई हो अधिकारी।पाठ करे सो पावन हारी॥
The hymn says that one weighed down by debt who recites it is freed of the burden and made pure.
- 36पुत्र हीन कर इच्छा जोई।निश्चय शिव प्रसाद तेहि होई॥
The hymn says that one who is childless and longs for a child will surely receive it by Śiva’s grace.
- 37पण्डित त्रयोदशी को लावे।ध्यान पूर्वक होम करावे॥
On the thirteenth lunar day, let him invite a learned priest and have a fire offering performed with full attention.
- 38त्रयोदशी व्रत करै हमेशा।ताके तन नहीं रहै कलेशा॥
The hymn says that one who always keeps the fast of the thirteenth day is left with no affliction.
- 39धूप दीप नैवेद्य चढ़ावे।शंकर सम्मुख पाठ सुनावे॥
Let him offer incense, a lamp and food, and recite this hymn before Śaṅkara.
- 40जन्म जन्म के पाप नसावे।अन्त धाम शिवपुर में पावे॥
The hymn says the sins of birth after birth are then wiped away, and at the end he finds a home in Śiva’s abode.
- 41कहैं अयोध्यादास आस तुम्हारी।जानि सकल दुःख हरहु हमारी॥
Ayodhyādās says: my hope rests in you; knowing this, take away all my sorrows.
- दोहानित्त नेम कर प्रातः ही, पाठ करौं चालीसा।तुम मेरी मनोकामना, पूर्ण करो जगदीश॥
As my daily rule I recite this Cālīsā every morning; Lord of the world, fulfil the wish of my heart.
- दोहामगसर छठि हेमन्त ऋतु, संवत चौसठ जान।अस्तुति चालीसा शिवहि, पूर्ण कीन कल्याण॥
Know that it was the sixth day of Magsar (Mārgaśīrṣa), in the season of Hemanta, in Saṁvat sixty-four, that this hymn of forty verses to Śiva was completed, for the good of all.
How and when it is recited
This is custom, not a rule of scripture.
- Traditionally recited in the morning after bathing, before an image of Śiva or a Śivaliṅga.
- Many devotees recite it on Mondays, on Pradoṣa (the thirteenth lunar day, which the text itself mentions), through the month of Śrāvaṇa and on Mahāśivarātri.
- The text speaks of offering incense, a lamp and naivedya and then reciting it before Śaṅkara.
- Recite at an unhurried pace with attention to the meaning; the hymn itself asks for recitation “with the mind applied”.
Source
tradition
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